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Late last year, while researching for an article, I discovered the Global Rich List calculator. At the time, it reported that a U.S. worker making the federally mandated minimum wage ($7.25/hour) earns more salary than 92.2% of workers in the rest of the world. The statistics do not lie: American Christians are rich.
That’s a good thing, right? Well, as with so many things in this world, that depends on your perspective. From a heavenly perspective, we all have reason to be concerned.
Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, “Who then can be saved?” But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.” Mark 10:23-27
Jesus’ warning raises two important questions: Why is it so hard for the rich to enter the kingdom of God? How do we mitigate the risk?
The first question is not hard to answer; the Bible has much to say on the subject. The answer to the second question is not so obvious (at least, for most of us). Here are nine reasons it is so hard for the rich to enter the kingdom of God:
- The rich tend to trust in their riches (v. 24).
- Riches are deceitful, choking the word of God from our lives, resulting in unfruitfulness (Matthew 13:22).
- The unfruitful are cut off from Jesus Christ and thrown into the fire (John 15:2,6).
- The rich are tempted to bury their riches, instead of investing them into the kingdom of God (Matthew 25:24-27,30).
- The poor have been chosen to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom (James 2:5).
- Our heart is tied to our treasure (Matthew 6:21).
- To whom much is given, much will be required – including our riches (Luke 12:48).
- The world’s goods are given to meet the needs of others (1John 3:16-18). The rich are responsible to know how much to give away.
- The rich are most at risk of two powerful and destructive deceptions: they do not need God (Revelation 3:17), and/or God needs them (Acts 17:25).
Is anything in life accomplished in an instant? From learning to speak, to winning a girl’s heart, to career advancement, all development is a progression of incremental steps – each one building on the previous.
One might ask, “What if the last step was wrong or injurious?” In that case the next step is toward restoration; and stepping all the more needful.
The point here is that life is not a collection of events, but of processes. Even our birth begins with two cells becoming one, then two, then four, and so on. All physically animate things move in a direction – birth, growing and dying.
Recognizing this, the wise man does his best to organize his steps in the most profitable manner (meaning, he puts more than a little thought into his choices). The laisse faire approach to life rarely ends well.
Knowing that the natural life operates in process, why then would Christians live as though the spiritual life is any different? Why wouldn’t we readily recognize our spiritual life as more than a disconnected collection of events?
I will tell you why; because our carnal mind is at enmity with the Spirit, and opposed to our spiritual development. It is active in distracting and deceiving us.
We are being moved in a spiritual direction – toward evil or good, death or life. We must fight against our carnal mind for the spiritual processes that have been given to us by God for our maturation. These include sanctification, transformation, and salvation.
Furthermore, obedience to every command of the Father and Son is a process (hear, obey, act). Walking in the Spirit is a process. Faith is the process of God whereby His word to us becomes His work – over and over again, faith to faith.
This brings to mind another spiritual truth: These processes are iterative; they repeat in God-prescribed patterns. This is one of the reasons why spiritual disciplines work. Again, this is not unlike our life in the physical realm – the workday being a good example. Repetition and patterns are common to both physical and spiritual development. Read the rest of this entry »
The kingdom of heaven is like a mighty river that flows through our lives – the Kingdom River. There are people that visit the river on special occasions to temporarily enjoy its beauty and refreshing water. There are others that regularly go down to the river – bringing along their ski, pontoon, or fishing boat (and the occasional friend) for the various forms of entertainment these devices and the river might provide to them.
Some people enjoy the Kingdom River so much, they have built houses on its banks. As folks back home say, “they have a ‘place’ on the river.” They go to the river almost every weekend – to get away from the hustle and bustle of the world. Some of them even live in yachts and houseboats, floating right on top of the mighty river.
None of these people are river people. Most of them don’t even know that river people exist. Those who know a little something about the river people consider them quite odd and, if they will admit it, scary. Like the mysterious water people Elwin Ransom encountered in Perelandra, the true river people live in – AND BREATHE!! – the Kingdom River.
The river people are very much unlike everyone else. They do not have roots on land. They do not visit the mighty river on special occasions, or for regular entertainment. For them, the river is not a place to get away from the world.
Before we delve into another article on the way we think, what we think about, and how our thinking impacts our faith walk, I would like to clarify something.
These articles are for Workplace Leaders. In fact, this is true for every article that God uses me to write – whether or not they are workplace focused. Why? Because God has positioned Christians in the Workplace to make disciples. That is our primary responsibility.
Furthermore, God created inLight Consulting to encourage, edify and equip Workplace Leaders for that purpose. Consequently, every resource that comes out of this ministry is for Workplace Leaders to use in making disciples and transforming their spheres of influence.
I encourage you to be a good steward of all that God is entrusting to you.
Foundational Thinking
As we have proposed previously, for reformation to occur in the Western Church, committed Christians must begin challenging the way they are thinking and what they are thinking about.
The way we think (i.e., paradigm, mindset, worldview) is built on foundational convictions. The stronger our convictions have become, the harder it will be to reform our thinking. Our minds do not like their foundations challenged.
I recognize that to even suggest such a thing is likely to set off alarms. Who am I to challenge the way you think and what you think about – much less your foundations? It is a great question. The answer is better:
I am just the pen.
You don’t have to answer to me. You don’t even have to like or agree with everything I write. Take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ! Hold these things up in the light of His Gospel, and the truth of His word.
I truly believe that I am simply the instrument God is using to get you to challenge the way you think and what you are thinking about.
The Old and New Covenant
The following is intended to get you thinking about what (if anything) you think about your covenant with God.
It has been some time since I last presented the following. I encourage you to consider it prayerfully – even if it seems like an obvious truth. Ask the Father to give greater meaning to it, for you and those you love.
Much of our thinking is subconscious (i.e., we are not conscious of it). Our minds filter input through a paradigm that has been forming since before our birth. We should be suspicious of the way we think.
It is ironic that though life is a process, we give so much attention to events. It takes more mental energy to think of the process. Life is harder to consider than the events of birth, birthdays, graduation, death, and the multitude of events that lie in between.
But, it is the “in between” that matters most – the process of life that connects and blankets the events of our lives.
Generally speaking, the church has fallen victim to the same event-orientation – most damagingly in regards to salvation. Many think of salvation as the initial event – justification, reconciliation, and rebirth. Some would add the end – glorification. It seems very few talk about the in between; and I don’t mean sanctification – that is a different process altogether.
So, let’s look at the evidence of salvation as a process.
Most of you are reading this article because you are curious about someone else’s perspective on the kingdom of God. Others because you are passionate about your relationship with God the Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ. Perhaps these are two points on a spectrum (just an observation).
Perspective and passion are important considerations when we ask ourselves this question. There are at least two perspectives to consider. First, there is God’s perspective and our perspective. For the sake of brevity, we will put aside our perspective and consider His.
From His perspective, there are two additional perspectives related to the meaning of “why”? This is where I want to focus our attention.
“Why?” can mean, “What was His motivation?” It can also mean, “What is His purpose?” Someone might argue that these are ultimately the same. However, there is much to learn in considering them apart from one another.
When we ask ourselves, “Why would God save a wretch like me?” the automatic response is almost always, “Because He loved me.” We get this from John 3:16. God’s motivation is love. That’s true; and it sounds so good, we want to stop there and enjoy the moment (go ahead; feel free).
The experience of God’s love is an awesome thing. However, failing to move on – as many in the Church have (been taught) – leaves us with a woefully incomplete answer.
The kingdom is like a mighty river, flowing over time. The river is a story – the story of God’s kingdom. It is the Kingdom River.
Like most mighty rivers, the Kingdom River has a deep channel; a channel that cuts through time, on the river’s way through eternity. The Kingdom River makes its own path. It determines, by its power, where it will flow.
In the channel of the Kingdom River, the current flows deep and with great power. It draws all of humanity to itself. But, the channel of the Kingdom River is a dangerous place. All who are swept up in it eventually drown.
The Kingdom River, as it is with most mighty rivers, also has its shallows and quiet pools; places where young and old first enter – where they find peace and comfort. In this part of the river, the waters rarely come up to your knees; and the strong current is rarely felt. Still, many are satisfied to stay there.
Regrettably, they are not aware of the dangers that are lurking nearby.
Removed from, but within view of the Kingdom River, is a broad road. Many are traveling down the broad road. Many – perhaps most – of those traveling on the broad road are irritated by the site of the river. They want nothing to do with it. They consider the people gathered at the river to be foolish and weak.
Many others, on the broad road, are comforted in knowing that the river is close. When they pause to look and consider the road, they feel drawn to come near. But that would require them to leave the broad road, and they are not ready for that. Perhaps some other day. In the end, they never make it to the river’s edge.
This is a sad tragedy, but not so much as that which unknowingly threatens the shallow and quiet pool dwellers.
What would you think if someone gave you a car that ran on an unlimited and free power source? You would probably consider that a really cool blessing. Am I right?
What if they refused to identify the power source and/or where it could be obtained? That wouldn’t be so cool. The car would be a useless and frustrating gift. Right again?
If, as we read in Romans 10:10 (NKJV):
“…with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
and, as 1Corinthians 12:3 relates:
“…no one can say Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.”;
What do we make of those raised up in denominations and streams that were not taught the operation of the Holy Spirit in salvation?
Are their teachers not only refusing to go in, but preventing others from entering (Matthew 23:13)?
I’m just asking.
- The matter of disqualification can be both contentious and revelatory. This article attempts to leverage the latter as a means (and hope) of mitigating the former.
- Essential to the matter of disqualification is the recognition that salvation is a process; and faith is a function of the heart.
- In spiritual matters, separating complex things into their component parts, as a method for understanding the whole, simply does not work as we would like. It is impossible to understand the principles of grace, faith and works apart from one another.
- Our faith does not save us any more than our works. Only God’s grace can do that. Effectual faith – also a gift of God; perfected by the grace of works – appropriates the grace that saves.
- Eventually, judgment will come. Those caught with their talent buried in the ground, their branch without fruit, or any other of the disqualifying conditions, will be rejected.
- “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.” Jesus Christ (Luke 13:24)
Introduction
As a follow-up to The Peril of Disqualification, I would like to address a couple of objections that have been raised about our being disqualified from our salvation. In part three, I will flesh out a few of the more significant disqualifying conditions.
Recognizing salvation as a process is an essential context for understanding what follows. Therefore, I encourage you to take a moment and read the foundation article on that subject. You will discover that which comes to those that endure to the end (Matthew 24:13; Mark 13:13).
A second essential matter is the vessel and instrument, so to speak, of faith in a born again person. It is with the heart that man believes (Mark 11:23; Romans 10:10). Most in the church would agree that belief is more than mental assent to the truth of Scripture.
However, I fear many have been emotionally charmed by the notion of salvation – even wondering at the beauty of it – without appropriating its birth in their heart. A helpful analogy is that of the man that admires the painting of a wondrous landscape, without ever traveling to experience its grandeur in person. Read the rest of this entry »
I grew up hearing that “opportunity knocks”. Either that was wishful thinking, or opportunity has changed its modus operandi. It seems that these days opportunity must be hunted down and wrestled to the ground.
This has been the case for most successful business people I know. Opportunities are the result of wise preparation and hard work. Opportunities are more like doorways we must strive to enter.
Did you know that our opportunity to enter into the kingdom of God is the same?
And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?” And He said to them, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. Luke 13:22-24
Jesus did said, “Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened for you.” However, finding the door, and having it opened for you, do not equate to entering through that door (or gate). We must respond to the open door by striving to enter into it. I hope this is as sobering for you as it has been for me.
The Greek word for “strive” is agōnizomai. We get our word agonize from it. It is also means “to fight” and “labor fervently”.
Agōnizomai: To enter a contest: contend in the gymnastic games; to contend with adversaries, fight; metaphorically, to contend or struggle with difficulties and dangers; to endeavor with strenuous zeal, strive: to obtain something. (Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)
Does this describe your pursuit of the kingdom of God? It may sound a bit different than what you have been taught. It may be challenging the way you think. Don’t get discouraged. We all need our minds renewed.
Workplace Ministry Tip: The fervency with which we pursue the opportunities in our life is inevitably proportional to their perceived value. The realization of those opportunities is proportional to the fervency with which we pursue them.
Humbly yours and forever His,
inLight Adventure 